A Delicate Flame
by Kacy Myth
Summary: It's a rainy day at Fairy Tail and the members are debating the meaning of love. Nali Week 2015 - Day 5 - Love is a Delicate Flame


_AN: This one I am pretty proud of. Canon compliant btw. It was for day 5. The prompt was Love is a Delicate Flame._

It was a slow day at the guildhall. It was raining outside and bitterly cold. Not the sort of day anyone felt like doing anything.

But it was also the sort of day she would've loved.

She'd had relished the chance to sit inside and watch the rain drops slide down the window pane or patter against the ground. She'd tell him how the rain would help the plants grow to make food for animals and how the worms coming to the surface would make a feast for the birds. She'd tell him how all of nature worked in harmony together. "Kind of like our guild." She'd say. "We all work together and support each other in different ways."

And if that got boring, she would watch the guild members talk to each other. She didn't mind not participating though she liked that just as well.

But she wasn't doing any of those things because she was no longer here.

Natsu was ignoring this fact as best he could. It had been a long time. He had since gotten more or less used to her absence.

Mostly less.

So it was a slow day, rain was pouring outside and everyone was gathered about chattering.

Natsu didn't mind. He liked being with his guild mates.

Nearby, most of the girls were gathered together, having a heated debate about something. He joined them, curious.

He didn't know what he thought it would be about, best types of magic, maybe? That was always a heated discussion.

But he didn't think it would be this.

"It's when someone protects you and balances you out!" Levy said.

"No, no." Lucy disagreed. "It's when someone completely understands you."

"It's indescribable." Erza said, fiercely. "It's something you know in your soul."

What were they talking about? He frowned.

"Love is when someone accepts you and all your flaws." Mirajane suggested.

"Love is clear skies." Juvia said.

They were debating the definition of love?

They continued arguing. Cana says it was a full case of beer, but she might've been joking. Bisca said it was when someone is your equal and you can't imagine a world without them.

After a moment they all fell silent, thinking, but Natsu had been thinking about it too and he blurted. "Love is a delicate flame."

They all turned to stare at him.

"What are you looking at?" He said, indignantly.

"N-nothing." Lucy said, awkwardly. "We just didn't know you were listening in."

Well now he felt like he was intruding which was stupid. This was his guildhall too!

Erza appeared intrigued. "You propose that love is a delicate flame?" She said. "Would you care to explain your reasoning?"

Well he'd made the argument he might as well back it up.

Confidence growing, he said, "Love is fire. It starts off small, just a spark, and if you feed it, it grows. But if you don't, or if it gets blown out. It's gone. You can never get it back." He said, simply.

They blinked at him.

"That has got to be the most romantic thing Natsu has ever said," commented Levy.

Mirajane sent Natsu an oddly calculating look.

Natsu was confused. Had he said something weird?

"What?" Gray asked, walking over to them, shirtless as usual. "Natsu said something romantic?" He snorted. "No way."

"Shut up, Gray." Natsu growled. He was starting to wish he hadn't joined this conversation.

Gray rolled his eyes. "You have to admit it's pretty out of character. What did you say?"

"Erm." Natsu didn't really feel like repeating it.

"He said love is a delicate flame." Lucy piped up. "And something about, 'if it gets blown out, you can never get it back.'"

"It was quite sad." Levy said.

"Sounds like someone had his heart broken." Lucy said, nudging her blue-haired friend. "Who was she, Natsu?"

Natsu growled, images of white hair and blue eyes and a cute pink dress springing to mind. "No one!" He snapped.

Lucy jumped, not used to seeing him angry.

Natsu turned and left, suddenly feeling the need to be anywhere but here. He burst through the guild doors into the rain outside.

It was so gray out, as though all of the color had bleached from the world.

He slammed his feet against the ground, water spraying up with each step but he didn't care. The splash was satisfying.

He didn't know where he was going but he didn't care about that either.

Despite this, he wasn't surprised when he found himself in front of a straw hut with a stone grave out front.

The sight didn't make him feel much better but he sat down out front, in the rain.

A few moments later, Happy settled next to him. He must've followed him here.

"What's wrong, Natsu?" He asked. "You just took off!"

"Nothing's wrong." He said. "I just didn't want to be in the guildhall any longer."

"Oh." Happy said. "Okay."

They sat in silence, rain dripping down their faces.

Several Months Later

Well this was certainly unexpected, but in Fairy Tail you had to learn to expect the unexpected.

Still, parallel universes (If that's what this was)? That was new.

Even stranger was the way his guild mates were acting. Had this dimension turned them crazy?

In the midst of fighting with Lucy, he saw her.

Short, white hair. Shorter than it had been when he'd last seen her. She was much taller, older. She was wearing a light blue dress and her guild mark was on her thigh but her blue eyes remained the same and she was unmistakable.

"Lisanna!" He cried.

He felt a spark.


End file.
